What physics lies beyond the Standard Model and how can we discover it?

Professor Graham is broadly interested in theoretical physics beyond the Standard Model which often includes cosmology, astrophysics, general relativity, and even atomic physics. The Standard Model leaves many questions unanswered including the nature of dark matter and the origins of the fundamental fermion masses, the weak scale, and the cosmological constant. These and other clues such as the unification of the forces are a guide to building new theories beyond the Standard Model.

Professor Graham is also interested in inventing novel experiments to discover such new physics, frequently using techniques from astrophysics, condensed matter, and atomic physics. In the past he has invented probes of fundamental physics using atom interferometry and explored the effects of grand unification on astrophysics and cosmology. He has also created novel cosmological models for the origin of the universe and studied their observational signatures.

Current areas of focus:

Theory beyond the Standard Model

Dark matter models and detection

Novel experimental proposals for discovering new physics such as axions and gravitational waves

Understanding results from the LHC - Early universe cosmology

CAREER HISTORY:

After completing his undergraduate work at Harvard, Graham received his PhD from Stanford in 2007. He was a postdoctoral research associate for one year with the particle theory group at SLAC and then took a postdoctoral position with the Stanford Institute for Theoretical Physics in the Physics Department. Peter Graham began his appointment as Assistant Professor in the Department of Physics in September 2010.